21 hours ago
Reform says councillor ‘should be sacked for supporting Tommy Robinson'
Reform UK called for the sacking of a Labour councillor who resigned over his apparent support for Tommy Robinson.
Nigel Farage's party accused Ben Westwick, who sits on Basildon council in Essex, of posting tweets in support of the far-Right activist more than a decade ago.
He has now been suspended by the leader of the council, but remains as an independent member.
A spokesman for the local Reform UK party called for Mr Westwick's 'immediate resignation' based on what it called his 'numerous offensive... and deeply inappropriate comments made across his social media accounts'.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founded the English Defence League (EDL) and has recently been released from prison, having served a sentence for contempt of court.
Mr Farage has long tried to distance himself from the EDL founder in a bid to make his party more respectable.
In 2018, he resigned from Ukip over his party's obsession with the far-Right activist, and earlier this year he dismissed Elon Musk's call for him to work with Robinson.
A Twitter account apparently belonging to Mr Westwick posted back in 2012: '@EDLTrobinson tommy Robinson for prime minister'. The account has not tweeted anything since 2014.
Gavin Callaghan, council leader, said he suspended Mr Westwick 'after I was made aware of social media posts made... before he was elected in 2024'.
'Whilst I accept that Ben was a young man when he posted these comments and that he has changed his views on a number of issues, I do not believe it is right for him to represent the Labour Party on the council at this time,' he added.
Having the whip removed means a politician is no longer obliged to vote with his party at council meetings. It also usually means an individual is suspended from the political party they are a member of.
Mr Westwick now sits as an independent councillor for Pitsea South East.
There are two by-elections for Baslidon council due to take place over the next month.
One is in Wickford Park ward next Thursday, following the death of Wickford Independents' Dave Harrison, and one in St Martins ward after Labour's Maryam Yaqub stood down.
